Man recovering after severe shock, burns

ATLANTA - They are calling it a miracle. A Jasper man who came in contact with power lines last week while working on a sign continues his recovery at Grady Memorial Hospital's burn unit.

Matt Key, 27, suffered serious burns while his co-worker Dusty Harmon, 22, was electrocuted. FOX 5's Doug Evans spoke with the survivor's mother who said friends and family are trying to make sure Matt Key and his wife are taken care of in this difficult time.

On August 15th, Matt Key was wearing smartwatch that recorded the final beat of his heart when shocked with 14, 000 volts of electricity. The final beat until bystanders performed CPR and brought him back to life.

"There are no words to describe how grateful we are that God had put them in the right place at the right time. They just reacted," said Connie Strickland, Matt's mother.

Connie Strickland shared a photo of her son and his wife Ashley in the burn unit at Grady Memorial Hospital. That's where he has been since a crane which he and co-worker Dusty Harmon was using in Coweta County touched overhead power lines on Highway 16. Harmon was killed. Key was savagely burned and flown out to Grady.

"His heart had stopped and they had him breathing on a ventilator. He was burned all over his body. His foot looks a science project. It is burned all the way to the bone," Strickland said.

The good news is that Matt Key is recovering well after surgery. A week and half later, there is another photo with a smile and giving a thumbs up.

Matt and Ashley have been married for three years. The young couple just bought their first house. The Go Fund Me page set up by his family members will go to help Matt and Ashley face the financial challenges in Matt's long recovery.

The couple said they will donate anything left over to the Grady burn unit for good care Matt has received there.